Marine Corps

Paul and Martha Petersen of La Cañada are pleased to announce the impending marriage of their son Christopher to Amanda Boelk, daughter of David and Cilicia Boelk of Manasas, Va. The couple will be wed May 16 at the Fairfax Baptist Temple in Fairfax Station, Va. Chris graduated from La Cañada High School in 1998. He graduated from California State University Los Angeles in 2004 with a degree in criminal justice and is now a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. Having served three tours in Iraq, he will enjoy his next duty station in Hawaii.

In a recent column, Joe Puglia asks, “Are we too sensitive?” (“Thoughts from Dr. Joe: Sensitivity and Gabrielle Leko,” Nov. 24) He argues that “Brother Cyprian, my freshman English teacher, was a cross between Genghis Khan and Ralph Waldo Emerson.” During our Starbucks meet-ups, Dr. Joe has described ethnic slurs, not only by Brother Cyprian, but by USMC drill instructors. Despite all that, Dr. Joe turned out OK. He got his education, earned a doctorate and started a family.

There was a similarity to the family gatherings. The weather would be hot. The beer would be cold. The houses sparkled with the preparations. Casseroles, prepared by the women. Enchiladas. Chilaquiles. A barbecue staffed by one of the men. Babies. Toddlers who stared wide-eyed at the big kids who plotted and played. This was a family with more women than men. More sisters than brothers. More daughters than sons. Yet, at each gathering, the male cousins invariably would gather. Each one was a Vietnam veteran.

Summer's here. Nothing to read? Overdosed on reality TV? CNN overload? Problem solved. Here's Around Town's annual list of summer books: 1. Daniel Silva's new book just came out this week. “The English Girl” is another Gabriel Allon spy thriller. Allon has left the Office (by implication, Mossad) to work as an art restorer but he keeps getting called back into service. Silva is an American. He used to be a journalist. He was raised Catholic but converted to Judaism. His stories are always well-researched, with exquisite detail.

Anita Susan Brenner (This column is written in memory of Jack Houston, Joe Rafaelli, Jim Fisher and Andrew Torres. ) Imagine this: a perfect day. The greens are cloud soft. The sun is out, but not too hot. No wind. No rain. A great day to golf. Here comes the foursome. They are wonderful guys. Likeable. Fun. Today, they are happy. Their banter is infectious. Jack Houston. Joe Rafaelli. Jim Fisher. Andrew Torres. Of course, they had a Thursday Club connection.

Spring break is here, so it's time for the Around Town annual reading list. 1. If your kid has escaped to Valley Forge this week, don't miss the “Memoirs of Joseph Plumb Martin.” Plumb Martin enlisted in the Connecticut militia in 1775, then joined the Continental Army. He was at the battles of Brooklyn, White Plains, Fort Mifflin, Monmouth and the Siege of Yorktown. He also lived through Valley Forge. He published his memoirs in 1830 to draw attention to the plight of Revolutionary War veterans, whose benefits had been cut by the U.S. government.

The old saying, ?If you fail to plan you are planning to fail,? could never be more true than in today?s difficult economic times. This, according to business turnaround consultant Gene Pepper, who contends the biggest problems facing most failing businesses today come from owners not knowing what?s going on in their own business and many never having in place a business plan. ?If you are a crisis-threatened owner, you have to have a written plan in place now or stand by to close your doors,?

Although J.P. Blecksmith didn't live in La Cañada Flintridge, he was well known by his peers and those who followed sports. A San Marino resident, Blecksmith attended Flintridge Prep from the seventh to the 12th grade. He was an excellent student and a star athlete. These traits helped get him accepted at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He graduated from the military institution in 2003 as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. On Nov. 11, 2004, he was killed while leading his platoon in heavy fighting at the battle of Al Falluja.

Spring break is here, so it's time for the Around Town annual reading list. 1. If your kid has escaped to Valley Forge this week, don't miss the “Memoirs of Joseph Plumb Martin.” Plumb Martin enlisted in the Connecticut militia in 1775, then joined the Continental Army. He was at the battles of Brooklyn, White Plains, Fort Mifflin, Monmouth and the Siege of Yorktown. He also lived through Valley Forge. He published his memoirs in 1830 to draw attention to the plight of Revolutionary War veterans, whose benefits had been cut by the U.S. government.

Summer's here. Nothing to read? Overdosed on reality TV? CNN overload? Problem solved. Here's Around Town's annual list of summer books: 1. Daniel Silva's new book just came out this week. “The English Girl” is another Gabriel Allon spy thriller. Allon has left the Office (by implication, Mossad) to work as an art restorer but he keeps getting called back into service. Silva is an American. He used to be a journalist. He was raised Catholic but converted to Judaism. His stories are always well-researched, with exquisite detail.

In a recent column, Joe Puglia asks, “Are we too sensitive?” (“Thoughts from Dr. Joe: Sensitivity and Gabrielle Leko,” Nov. 24) He argues that “Brother Cyprian, my freshman English teacher, was a cross between Genghis Khan and Ralph Waldo Emerson.” During our Starbucks meet-ups, Dr. Joe has described ethnic slurs, not only by Brother Cyprian, but by USMC drill instructors. Despite all that, Dr. Joe turned out OK. He got his education, earned a doctorate and started a family.

There is a special word in Spanish, when two people have the same name. The word is tocayo . It does not mean namesake, which implies that one person is named for the other. It merely means that two people share the same name. Search engines have elevated this awareness to an art form. The highest and best use of the Internet is obviously not Star Trek or romance, but Google-stalking oneself and one’s friends. Case in point: Joe Puglia. Joe is a prince among men and clearly does not deserve my attention.

Paul and Martha Petersen of La Cañada are pleased to announce the impending marriage of their son Christopher to Amanda Boelk, daughter of David and Cilicia Boelk of Manasas, Va. The couple will be wed May 16 at the Fairfax Baptist Temple in Fairfax Station, Va. Chris graduated from La Cañada High School in 1998. He graduated from California State University Los Angeles in 2004 with a degree in criminal justice and is now a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. Having served three tours in Iraq, he will enjoy his next duty station in Hawaii.

The old saying, ?If you fail to plan you are planning to fail,? could never be more true than in today?s difficult economic times. This, according to business turnaround consultant Gene Pepper, who contends the biggest problems facing most failing businesses today come from owners not knowing what?s going on in their own business and many never having in place a business plan. ?If you are a crisis-threatened owner, you have to have a written plan in place now or stand by to close your doors,?

Anita Susan Brenner (This column is written in memory of Jack Houston, Joe Rafaelli, Jim Fisher and Andrew Torres. ) Imagine this: a perfect day. The greens are cloud soft. The sun is out, but not too hot. No wind. No rain. A great day to golf. Here comes the foursome. They are wonderful guys. Likeable. Fun. Today, they are happy. Their banter is infectious. Jack Houston. Joe Rafaelli. Jim Fisher. Andrew Torres. Of course, they had a Thursday Club connection.

Although J.P. Blecksmith didn't live in La Cañada Flintridge, he was well known by his peers and those who followed sports. A San Marino resident, Blecksmith attended Flintridge Prep from the seventh to the 12th grade. He was an excellent student and a star athlete. These traits helped get him accepted at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He graduated from the military institution in 2003 as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. On Nov. 11, 2004, he was killed while leading his platoon in heavy fighting at the battle of Al Falluja.